Parkland Rezones New Area

Company Now Can Build 3,384 New Homes In Western Park Of City

January 18, 1998|By ROBERT NOLIN Staff Writer

PARKLAND — For years the land was in limbo _ nearly a quarter of the city's territory deannexed into the county. Only last August were the 1,538 acres on Parkland's western fringe returned to the city.

Now, with a single unanimous vote, the City Commission has rezoned the entire tract, allowing for the construction of 3,384 homes by WCI Communities.

``This is our first ordinance of 1998,'' Mayor Sal Pagliara said when the commission recently passed the rezoning law. ``It's real appropriate that we're increasing our city tremendously with our first ordinance of the year.''

The rezoned land had a rocky history, one that saw the city and WCI, the property's owner, often at odds.

In 1989, WCI, then known as Coral Ridge Properties, successfully lobbied the state Legislature to deannex the land from Parkland's control. The city, WCI argued, was infringing upon the company's right to develop the land through overly strict building standards.

WCI blocked a city move approximately two years ago to have the land restored.

Only last summer did the developer and the city agree that the land, part of unincorporated Broward, should be voluntarily reannexed.

First more than 400 acres were returned, then the remaining 1,128.

As part of the reannexation agreement between the city and the developer, Parkland must rezone the parcel, which includes the Heron Bay development, from its current designation of agricultural use to residential use.

City commissioners recently gave their initial approval to the rezoning, keeping the agricultural designation only for sections of golf course and canal and buffer sites. WCI may now fully develop the area, with a maximum of 3,384 homes, most sections having a density of no more than three dwelling units per acre.

In recommending the rezoning, city planners told the commission that WCI was ``developing locations for future school and park sites within this area which will satisfactorily accommodate the future population of school students and residents.''

Parkland must still take a final vote, but the rezoning is expected to win approval.